Donald Glover, James Earl Jones Join Live-Action ‘Lion King’

So get ready for the best news you’ll hear probably all week. (Yes, I know it’s Friday, but I’m very excited and am losing the ability to process linear time.) Not only is Donald Glover voicing Simba in Jon Favreau’s live-action The Lion King, but none other than James Earl Jones will be lending his vocal talents to Simba’s father Mufasa.

Favreau announced the news via Twitter, with some glamorous headshots of the two actors.

Aaaaahhhh!!

AAAAAAHHHHH!!

For those of you not in the know, this news is doubly exciting because Jones voiced Mufasa in the original 1994 cartoon. His voice is absolutely legendary — Darth Vader, anyone? — and honestly who else would be nearly as right for the role as he is? Plus, pretty much everyone’s dream cast came true with Glover. No word yet on whether they’ll get another actor to voice Young Simba, but Glover is so versatile and expressive, they might not need to.

Disney’s got a bunch of live-action adaptations in the works, from Mulan to Aladdin, not to mention we’re about to see Beauty and the Beast on the big screen next month. This is by far the most exciting news yet we’ve heard about Favreau’s Lion King, and we’re incredibly excited to hear new cast announcements as they arrive. Enjoy having “I Just Can‘t Wait to Be King” stuck in your head for the rest of the weekend.